


Support System

by springtales



Category: Darkwing Duck (Cartoon 1991)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Friendship, Multi, Panic Attacks, pre-poly fearsome four
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 12:35:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28706784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/springtales/pseuds/springtales
Summary: Megavolt has been on the verge of a panic attack all day, but maybe doesn't realize it. His fellow villains/best friends are more than willing to help him in whatever ways they know how, showing him just how much they care about him.
Relationships: Megavolt/Quackerjack (Disney), Reginald Bushroot & Liquidator & Megavolt & Quackerjack, Reginald Bushroot/Liquidator
Comments: 9
Kudos: 43





	Support System

**Author's Note:**

> I am once again telling you that everyone I write is neurodivergent in some way, kings ONLY
> 
> also these four definitely want to be poly but they are also CLUELESS like ah yes this is what monogamous couples do

The evening streets of St. Canard stood relatively quiet, save for the city’s usual hum of car engines and the occasional siren. All noises seemed echoed and distant on one such street, where the unkept buildings stood dimly lit by sparse light poles and moonlight.   
A lone tin can sat in the road and, suddenly, began to clatter lightly against the pavement, as the sound of a car approached. It wasn’t long before the calm was torn through, the blur of a vehicle flattening the can in the blink of an eye. The surrounding light poles surged with a brilliant light as it passed, fully illuminating the area for just a quick moment.

The driver passively watched the mini light show out of the corner of his goggles, then shook his head and swerved to one side to avoid hitting the curb. Snapped out of his unfocused state, he also slowed down a bit. Megavolt tended to keep speeding up when he wasn’t paying attention, and nearing 70mph was probably a bit much for the tight road he was on. With that thought, he spotted his turn and sharply steered to the right.   
The villain twitched and tightened his grip on the steering wheel out of habit, though there was little cause for urgency. This style of driving was the norm for him, and was only slightly fueled by his current mental state.   
By all accounts he had no reason to feel so on edge, he wasn’t on the run or dealing with any major stressors, but he had been this way all day. An ever-persistent anxiety ate at the back of his mind, making him paranoid and frustrated. He worried that he’d forgotten something crucial, or that he  _ was  _ in some kind of danger.

Having run out of things to distract himself with back at his lighthouse, he’d decided a change of scene would be better than nothing. He’d been cooped up in there for a good few days, he was pretty sure, so maybe that was it.

He slowed a little more as he caught his destination in sight; his villainy group’s hideout. More and more often the four of them (Negaduck being uninterested in seeing them more than he had to) would hang around there, having become increasingly fond of each other’s company. Several times he had entered while one or more of his crime partners was there, or vice versa, and they would talk casually or simply share the space. The thought took the edge off for just a moment; perhaps company was what he needed. His electronic friends at home usually filled that role just fine, but he had started to miss the others after a while.

He braked, lurching himself forward only slightly, and hopped out of his car.

He shook in an attempt to loosen his muscles. Even sitting still for the short drive had made him antsy, and his back hurt on top of it all (but that was hardly surprising).

Making his way in, his head twitched as he walked, one of his many nervous tics. Or, his many tics, more accurately. They happened at any given time, but got more severe when he was particularly excited or under a lot of stress.

After quickly climbing the stairs and approaching the door, he paused for a moment. He decided that was a bad idea, as the lull made it harder to ignore the feeling, growing louder like static taking up his brain. He gripped the door handle and went in.

The first thing his eyes fell on was the opposite wall, occupied by a messy cork board and a small piece of framed embroidery that read “Hideout sweet hideout”. He usually sneered at the tacky sign, but found himself latching onto familiarity. The room was humble, to say the least; there were a few cracks along the wall and the carpet was old and stained, but their putting it to use, and occasional redecorating, gave it its own charm. It was their space, there was no doubt about that.

  
As he stepped in, he looked over and realized that all three of his companions were present. Liquidator and Bushroot sat on the couch, Quackerjack on the floor fiddling with a slinky. Their conversation halted as they all looked up at him.

Quackerjack gasped excitedly. “Megsy!!” he shouted as he sprung to his feet, tossing the toy aside. “I was just thinking about you; you certainly haven’t come out to play lately, not even with me!” The jester bounced over, accompanied by the jingling bells on his hat, and grinned widely at his partner, waiting expectantly for a response.

He mumbled something as he walked further inside.

“Can’t hear ya, Sparky.”

_ “Don’callme-” _ Shoot. He hadn’t actually spoken to non-electronics recently. Actually, he may not have talked at full volume all day (which was unusual even when he was alone). He cleared his throat.

“H-hey.” He waved and smiled halfheartedly. He could tell he felt better in their company, but he also didn’t want them to think anything was wrong.

The Liquidator got up from the couch with a smile and announced him.

“He’s dangerous, he’s technologically skilled, he’s…” He cocked his head when he saw the strange look on Megavolt’s face. “...looking a little under the weather.”

Bushroot gave a friendly wave before hearing what the other said and looking over their electrical friend with some concern. “Hey, he’s right. Are you feeling okay?”

Megavolt thought that was a fine greeting, being told he looked like shit. Though he knew they were probably right. He cleared his throat again, thinking up an excuse to give them.

“First of all, rude.” he said, slackening his posture as he walked over to lean on the counter. “But second, I’m fine. I, uh...stepped in a puddle on the way in and got a little shock, that’s all.” He twitched again while he spoke, only stuttering slightly. “How’re you guys?”

“Great, now that you’re here!” Quackerjack said, following him merrily. “These two are good company, but now the real life of the party’s here!” He pulled his boyfriend into a hug, hardly noticing the small jolt he received upon making contact. The clown was nearly used to the occasional electric shock, thinking it worth giving all the affection he wanted.

As for Megavolt, he was a bit alarmed by the gesture. He was used to their frequent embraces as well, but this felt wrong. He didn’t know  _ what  _ was wrong about it, he just felt like he was being trapped. He frantically struggled free, and before the other could react, he redirected things once more.

“Good, good, um, how ‘bout you, Liquidator?” His hands fiddled with each other, trying to channel the nervousness out of his expression.

The watery villain wasn’t buying his casual act, but gave him a pass for now to try and ease the tension.

“Things are going well for The Liquidator!” He said, then deflated slightly. “...Relatively speaking. Tonight’s top story in villainy: I  _ nearly  _ pulled off my takeover of the St. Canard water purification plant, but my plans were tainted by everyone’s  _ favorite  _ hero!” His liquid form changed to include a familiar hat and cape, which he swung in front of himself dramatically. “I am the  _ hack  _ that needs some better catchphrases!”

The others laughed at the imitation, even Megavolt.

“I was, clearly, able to slip away, and move my operations here.”

“Your ‘operations’ being relaxing after a long day.” Bushroot said insistently, now standing next to him.

The dog smiled. “Ah, yes, while free from his pursuers, The Liquidator remains under the watchful eye of the ever-attentive, ever-handsome Dr. Bushroot.” he said dramatically, falling into his partner’s viney arms. Catching him, the plant duck tripped over his words for a moment before breaking into a fit of giggles, both amused by his fanfare and flustered by the compliment.

The pair was too busy cooing at each other to notice the faint jingling of bells approaching them, before they were interrupted by their jester friend jumping up in front of them, extending to his full height and throwing his arms in the air.

_ “BOO!” _

Startled, Liquidator’s form faltered long enough for him to fall directly through Bushroot’s embrace, splashing on the ground as the other yelped in shock. Quackerjack instantly burst out laughing.

“ _ AHAHA!  _ That’s what you get for being a couple a’ saps!!” He grabbed at his sides. “Literally in Bushy’s case!”

They glared at him.

“Oh, I haven’t heard  _ that  _ one before.” Bushroot said, rolling his eyes. “And you were literally just bear-hugging Megavolt!”

“Aw, I’m sorry Bushy…” He scooped up the mutant and squeezed him like a rag doll, earning another yelp. “I didn’t mean to leave you out!” he said with a laugh as his new hostage remained frozen.

Megavolt watched their antics from the kitchen area, thankfully out of the splash zone, and snickered to himself. It was nice to finally have a distraction from how he was feeling.

He tried to remember what it was he'd been worried about, if anything. He truly couldn't think of a reason, not even sensing any mental fog where one might have been hiding.

As he watched Quackerjack try to hug Liquidator, his arms only passing through him with each attempt, he wondered some more.

What if his friends were in some danger, or maybe he was? Was he supposed to warn them, and that's why he'd come here? A little pang of dread hit him as he considered the idea; he'd hate to have failed them by forgetting such a thing.

He tried not to dwell on it, and to tell himself that it probably wasn't the case. Then, why? Why was the thing he remembered most about that day the slight, ever-present pain somewhere deep in his chest and his heart rate feeling even faster than usual? He wasn't just always like that, was he?

_ “Anyway _ , how’s your day been, Megavolt?” he heard Bushroot’s voice say. He looked up, only just realizing he’d even looked down at his restless hands.

“Oh...I, um.” They both seemed to realize the redundancy of the question at the same time, the other looking a little embarrassed that he’d asked it. “...Uneventful, I think.” he said, wanting to provide at least some semblance of conversation.

Bushroot started to take notice of his off behavior. He usually had more confidence, especially around Quackerjack. “And you’re sure you’re doing alright?” he asked tentatively.

“Yeah Megsy,” Quackerjack added less carefully, “Don’t think I didn’t notice you acting funny. Usually it takes you much longer to try to escape my hugs!”

Liquidator was about to jump in when Megavolt scoffed.

“What’s this, a therapy session??” He tried to sound annoyed, but his face betrayed his nervousness. What was he so scared of, anyway? That they would make a big fuss over him? Everything just seemed stressful right now.

“Ugh,  _ fine _ . It’s nothing really, but...I guess I have been kinda off? It’s uh. Hard to explain; I haven’t even been able to wrap my head around it.” He twitched again, this time much more violently and accompanied by him making a clicking noise. “But I guess I’ve felt um...on edge, even for me. You know, extra shaky, anxious about nothing in particular. Having a hard time um, breathing, like-” He swallowed, vaguely noticing that he was shaking and had gotten a death grip on the kitchen counter at some point. “like, right now...”

The plant mutant’s eyes widened as he clearly recognized his friend’s demeanor.    
“Megavolt, are you having a panic attack?”

The rat seemed to snap into focus for a second, the plug on the top of his head sparking in realization. He all but smiled as he snapped his fingers.

“Oh yeah! I get those!”

His victory of putting a name to his current state was short lived, as he again remembered what that meant.

_ “Fuck.” _

With that, his violent shaking and twitching started back up, and he stared down at the floor. He tried to hold himself up on the counter as his knees buckled under him.

The others started to rush towards him, and he looked back at them with a deer in the headlights expression, not really able to speak at this point.

“Not all at once.” Bushroot said, quietly but with more resolve than they usually heard from him. Turning to Megavolt, his tone was even and gentle.

“Let’s get you over to the couch, okay?”

He blinked. Being spoken to so patiently felt new to him, he couldn’t remember ever having someone try to help him with an attack. He managed to nod shakily, his gaze darting over to Quackerjack.

The toy-maker looked surprised, no smile to be found on his face. He’d hardly ever seen his partner like this; had he been hiding it from him? He pushed aside his selfish thoughts and stepped over to him, having seemingly been cued. He looked down at him, his heart beginning to hurt, and held out his arm.

“Shall we?” he said softly, barely managing a small smile. The rodent hesitantly grabbed on, and he received his second shock of the night, slightly more intense than the first. Megavolt looked worried, but the duck quickly gave him another smile. “I’m okay, Megs!” he said, grimacing when he realized that was too loud. “I mean- _ I’m okay, Megs.”  _ he whispered. His goofiness actually got the other to smile for a second.

Bushroot and Liquidator stepped aside as the pair made their way across the room. They didn’t think they’d ever seen Quackerjack act so subdued, and to be honest, he wasn’t so used to it either. But he pressed on until they reached their destination, Megavolt still holding his arm as he sat down. The jester sat down with him, giving him more space than he usually would.

Megavolt sparked, still bursting with nervous energy. Sitting was much better than standing, but he still couldn’t stop shaking and his breathing was shallow. He suddenly became  _ very  _ aware of the battery strapped to his back; not only did it supplement his unneeded energy, the straps across his chest and waist holding it were getting suffocating. He let go of Quackerjack and started grabbing frantically at them, his trembling hands unable to effectively remove them. Bushroot slowly approached the couch.

“Can I help?”

He nodded without looking up, and the mutant carefully stretched his vines behind him and wrapped them around the large battery, holding up its weight. Quackerjack helped to loosen the straps so they could be easily taken off. The jester wasn’t quite sure of how to reassure him in this state, but he whispered a few  _ “it’s okay” _ s as he went, still careful about his volume.

Once the thing was off him and he had more room, the rat scooted back onto the couch, drawing his knees up to his chest. Noticing his still uneven breathing, Bushroot kneeled in front of him and took the next step.

“Hey,” he said, Megavolt slowly looking up at him as he spoke, “Would you want to do a little breathing exercise? I’ll count to 10 and you can follow along.”

He nodded slightly.

Quackerjack smiled and offered his hand. _ "I'll do it too if you want.” _

He took the hand, holding it by his side and squeezing it tightly.

Bushroot also smiled, pleasantly surprised at Quackerjack’s helpfulness.

“Just look at me, okay?” Another nod. Normally the scientist wouldn’t appreciate being stared at, but he knew it helped to have something to focus on in situations like these.

“Okay, let’s inhale for 10 seconds. 1, 2…” He counted them off, the two of them following along. Once he reached 10, he had them hold for a moment before restarting the count to exhale. They did this several times, Megavolt seemingly continuing on his own even after they’d stopped doing it together.

“That’s great, keep it up.” Bushroot said, still quiet but unable to mask his happiness at how well it’d worked. “I’m so proud of you.”

“So am I, Megsy.” Quackerjack said, feeling more relaxed as well. He trailed his thumb over the other’s hand idly.  _ "I love you."  _ Were his next comforting words of choice, whispered as he held himself back from leaning against the other.

Although he felt relieved, a new, less urgent nervousness flared in Megavolt. This was a lot of positive attention at once, and now he'd finally calmed down enough to realize it. He felt his face heat up as the others gave him much more gentle treatment than he was used to, and lowered his head a bit.

His boyfriend wanted  _ nothing  _ more at that moment than to grab his face and kiss him, but he also wanted to give him his space if he still needed it, so he resisted for the time being.

Liquidator had been watching from a few feet away, starting to feel like he had no role here. He wanted to help his friend, and without his battery it was much safer for them to be near each other, but what could he do? Speaking quietly wasn’t his specialty, he was probably worse at it than Quackerjack, even, and he didn’t have much experience with situations like these. He stared at the still-shaky rat on the couch. To his surprise, Megavolt’s gaze soon met his.

The quietness was starting to unease the electrical villain. He needed something to focus on, or at least some kind of background noise. How he would convey this need remained uncertain, as proper speech still seemed out of his grasp. Looking around the room, his eyes landed on Liquidator, who was looking over at him. He had nearly forgotten the salesman was there in his panic. He thought about some of their previous interactions; they’d taken to having long conversations now and again, always finding interesting things to say to each other.

That, he decided, was just what he needed right now (albeit a one-sided version). He fixed his eyes more intently in the other’s direction, wishing he could just psychically convey what he was thinking. Maybe he’d look into some kind of invention for that.

Liquidator, picking up on his stare, raised a watery hand and pointed at himself. Megavolt nodded, and he cautiously approached. He tried to temper his voice before speaking.

“In need of assistance? Looking for-” He stopped himself. He was still too loud, and maybe he should simplify. “...Yes?” he said sheepishly.

Megavolt started to open his mouth, but shut it again when nothing came out. This might prove difficult. What did he normally do when this happened? This almost certainly didn’t normally happen, he answered himself.

There was more silence for a second. All of them seemed to become aware of the issue, and were each trying to think of a solution. Finally, Quackerjack smiled widely as he got an idea. He gave the hand in his a gentle squeeze, and his partner turned to him.

“You wanna play a game, Megsy?” he asked, trying to contain his excitement. The question earned him a confused look from all three of them.

He explained quietly, like a child telling a secret.  _ “20 questions.  _ I’ll ask what I think it is you need. Nod for yes, shake your head for no.” He grinned proudly at his cleverness.

Megavolt cracked a smile as well. His boyfriend was such a goofball sometimes. Or, all the time, rather. However, it did actually sound like a good idea. Truly, all he wanted to do was sit back and not have to think, but this seemed like it would get him there faster than fumbling to communicate on his own. He gave his first nod.

Quackerjack looked even happier, if that was possible. “Alright, so. You wanted Likky for something...hmm…” He stroked his chin with his free hand. “I don’t suppose you wanted a big ol’ watery hug,” he said, snickering to himself, “That would seem unlike you…”

The other shook his head, looking annoyed. The others again mirrored his expression.

The joker waved a hand. “Okay, okay, not that...Well, normally you like talking to him, right? But I know that’s not it, or we wouldn’t be playing this little game.”

Megavolt’s face lit up with intrigue, but he didn’t nod. He tried to think of a way to convey a “sort of”, but he didn’t have to.

“Oh, am I close?” the duck said, his eyebrows raising.

He nodded.

Liquidator perked up as well; he thought he knew this one. Trying not to be sudden, he spoke up.

“Would you like  _ me _ to do the talking?” he asked.

A notably more intense nod. The excitement, followed by relief on the rodent’s face was clear. He was glad to have reached a conclusion. His friends’ patience and understanding was immensely appreciated, but although it was out of his control, he couldn’t help feeling foolish for requiring such patience.

The water dog cleared his throat, albeit a redundant act. “Alright then. Just, talk about anything?” he asked, as if that was at all hard for him to do, and received another nod. “...Have I ever told you about the marketing history of the microwave oven? It’s actually very fascinating…” He began rattling off about the subject, his listener’s smile encouraging him.

Usually Quackerjack would lament about the topic being too boring, but as he watched Megavolt take another deep breath and release almost all tension as he listened, even leaning back on the couch, all he could feel was happiness. He leaned back as well, and without prompting, the rat gently leaned his head against him. Now  _ this  _ he didn’t need instructions for. He took off his helmet and set it aside, the hair underneath fluffing up from the remaining static. Smiling, he rested a hand on his boyfriend’s head and started gently running his fingers through his hair.

Bushroot had sat down on the floor, and listened contentedly as Liquidator went on about old patents and companies from the 60s. He always had specific subjects he knew seemingly everything about and loved to explain, especially if they were business-related. Although he had less to add than Megavolt normally would, he could listen to him talk for hours. And talk he did; he happily rambled on, finding it just as relaxing as the others did. Eventually the subject flowed from one thing to another, the mutant having no shortage of tangents and anecdotes to share. Quackerjack started to join in whenever something peaked his interest, and Bushroot did as well here and there.

Megavolt sighed, having gotten exactly what he'd wanted. His mind was finally quiet and content, no buzzing uncertainty or negativity remained. For now he didn't think about anything. He just let himself be as the others talked, supporting him without saying a word to him.

It was quite some time before the conversation began to waver, slight fatigue starting to set in on the group. Megavolt, feeling much more like himself, sat up from his position against his partner and looked at the other three, catching all of their attention. He paused for a beat before speaking.

“...Thank you guys.”

A simple “thank you” truly didn’t begin to cover the gratitude he felt, but he hoped they could hear his sincerity.

Quackerjack was the first to respond. “Of course! What are friends (and boyfriends) for!” he said, and reached his hands out hopefully.

The rat smiled and rolled his eyes. He opened up his arms, to which the other gasped and immediately buried him in a hug. They both laughed, Quackerjack ruffling his hair again.

After a moment, Megavolt felt the hug get much heavier, and opened his eyes to see that Bushroot and Liquidator had joined in. He got worried for a moment before remembering his battery was off, allowing the dog to sling an arm around him.

Bushroot was beaming at him. “So, it worked? You feel okay now?” He looked like he was about to cry.

More understanding of his friend’s emotionalness than usual, he nodded. “Better than okay! You were a huge help; I never woulda calmed down that fast on my own.”

His assumption was correct, as Bushroot was in tears before he even finished speaking. His vine arms wrapped around them all several times as he pulled them closer. He lifted them up, Liquidator being the only other one still touching the ground.

“Oh, I’m so happy!! We love you, Megavolt!” he said, sniffling. Part of him wished he could hold them all forever.

“The rumors are true: we all love and support our best friend!” Liquidator agreed.

Quackerjack laughed, surprised. “Way to  _ lift  _ our spirits, Bushy!” He reaffirmed his grip. “And he’s right! I love ya  _ so much, _ Night Light!!” he said, planting a kiss on his lover’s cheek. His affectionate nicknames only slipped out on rare occasions, usually when the two were alone, but he was just too happy to contain his love.

Despite having little electrical charge, Megavolt felt like he might short circuit from all the affection. He was still very emotionally compromised, and the clear blush on his face was the least of his problems as he felt like he was on the verge of tears now, too.

His heart was too full for his head to overthink it, and he started crying before he realized what was happening.

He sniffed. “D-Dammit, Bushroot! Damn you all!” he said, unable to sound convincingly angry through his sobs. “Why’d you gotta go and make me  _ feel things!?” _

“We just said! Because we  _ love  _ you!” the jester said, hopelessly endeared by his display of emotion. “Now you gotta say it~” he teased.

“I...I love you too, you jerks!” He leaned his head against Quackerjack’s, relaxing into the group hug.

The hug lasted for a good while longer, only the occasional sniffle breaking the silence, until Bushroot slowly lowered his friends back down. It hadn’t been forever, but he figured he’d have to give it up sooner or later. He unwrapped them from his vines, but reached his leafy hand out for Liquidator to take, still craving contact with someone. He complied, even leaning down and giving him a quick kiss.

Upon being released, Megavolt went to rub his eyes. He shortly realized the two barriers stopping him from doing so, his goggles and rubber gloves. He took off the latter, then lifted up the goggles and blinked a few times. Wiping the tears from his face, he realized something else; that he was, very rightfully, exhausted. He felt like he might fall over where he stood.

“I, uhh... might crash here tonight...don’t think I could drive if I tried...” He wobbled, stepping back to catch himself.

Taking notice, Quackerjack quickly took hold of him, picked him up and set him gently on the couch. He thought it was cute that the rat didn’t even try to protest, and simply leaned over to set his gloves and goggles on the end table with his helmet.

“Oooh, I’ve got a great idea!” he said cheerfully, rounding the side of the couch. He grabbed hold and pushed it a little ways out from the wall, then went and did the same to the opposite side. With a little more pushing, the back of the couch shifted to be level with the rest, converting it into a modest bed.

Megavolt snapped out of his tired state for just a moment, surprised by the sudden movement.   
“Huh...forgot it did that.” he said absentmindedly.

“But wait, there’s more!” the toy-maker added, jingling over to the corner of the room. He grabbed a large blanket, as well as a few pillows and stuffed animals that were stacked there, mostly his, and chucked them onto the couch-bed.

“It’ll be like a little sleepover!”

As he continued to throw soft things onto it, a few of them hitting Megavolt, the other couple started to wonder if this was their cue to leave. There wasn’t anywhere else to rest, so they were unsure if they were a part of this sleepover. Liquidator shifted, preparing his farewell as Quackerjack had already nearly finished setting up pillows and blankets on the bed.

He jumped gleefully into the pile of soft things, satisfied with his work. He propped himself up on a pillow against the wall and pulled Megavolt over to him, then looked up at the other two and grinned.

“Well? Whatcha waiting for, an invitation?” he leaned over his tired partner and patted the large empty space beside them.

The other two looked at him, surprised.

“Really? Is...is that okay?” Bushroot asked, trying to hide his excitement. It looked like he might not have to let his friends go after all.

Quackerjack nodded. “The more the merrier! I know ya want to, ya big sap!” He said, sticking his tongue out at him.

He smiled nervously. The other's teasing was correct, he really did want to. He looked back at his own partner, still holding his hand.

Liquidator worried about the possibility of falling asleep. If he did he would lose his form and probably drench the others as he collapsed into a puddle; very high on the list of ways to ruin a cuddle session. However, when Bushroot turned to him with such a hopeful look that he couldn't possibly refuse, he put those worries aside for now. He figured he would just enjoy himself until the others were all asleep, then slip away to find a more water-tight vessel to sleep in. He didn't even  _ need  _ to sleep, technically speaking, but he found it enjoyable.

He smiled and shrugged at his boyfriend. "You heard the clown!"

Bushroot's smile only grew, his free hand fluttering in excitement. He led him over to the bed and they climbed on.

He leaned back against a pillow and stretched out his arms, letting Liquidator settle up against his left side before hugging him close. He cautiously reached around and rested his right hand on Quackerjack’s shoulder, Megavolt lying between them. The jester snuggled closer. Both of his hands were occupied; one held one of Megavolt’s hands and the other had gone back to playing with his hair. He looked down at the rat, who settled against him, eyes closed as he smiled.

“Sweet dreams, my Night Light.” he purred.

_ “Mm, g’night Quacky…”  _ he mumbled, barely audible. One of his last thoughts as he drifted to sleep was that he didn’t know what he did to deserve friends like these, and he didn’t care.

Resting their heads on one another, the four of them let out a collective sigh. They took comfort in having such clear proof that they always had each other’s backs, even in more personal matters. They lay in their embrace as the night went on, feeling perfectly content and quietly thankful for the bond they shared.

**Author's Note:**

> I loved writing this fic, and I hope you enjoyed reading it!!


End file.
